Lintel



H. CUNIN June 17, 1941.

LINTEL Filed Feb. 10, 1940 HYMAN CUNIN 1N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY Patented June 17, 1941 UNHTED arms I 2,245,9 rear orriciz (Granted under the act of 'March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 4 Claims.

The invention, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the government of the United State for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the provisions of the act of April 30, 1928 (ch, 460, 45 Stat. L 467).

This invention relates to lintels, or those structures used in building construction and designed to span a window or door opening to support the super-structure above said openings.

One object of the invention is to provide a lintel which, in addition to possessing great inherent strength suificient to support the heavy body of masonry above the window or door opening, will direct the shedded water outside the wall and thus serve also as a flashing to prevent water from reaching the area immediately or directly above the window or door frame.

Other objects of the invention are, generally, those stated in my U. S. Patent No. 2,175,110, granted October 3, 1939, and more particularly in the present instance, to prOVide a lintel with improved means to facilitate the drainage of the water away from the area of the window or door frame for delivery outside of the wall of the building and at the same time embody a construction that will conveniently make feasible the fabrication of the lintel material in long lengths to be cut into individual lintels on the job or conveniently cut elsewhere to fit the requirements of a particular job. A further object is to provide means for spacing the masonry from the lintel to insure free passage of the shedded water.

In the construction shown and described in the patent referred to, there is illustrated a steplike load-bearing member or girder of general W-shape in cross section which seats upon a correspondingly shaped bearing surface usually of brick, stone or masonry block that spans the opening over which the lintel is used. An object of the invention is to so form the portion of the lintel that would correspond to the tread of a step that the shedded water will be guided directly toward the outside of the wall, and the provision of means for preventing the shedded water from passing in any considerable quantity laterally beyond the ends of the lintel into the area of the wall surrounding the window opening, where it would tend to seep through and dampen the inside of the wall.

In the construction about to be described I do away with-the end flanges of considerable height and co-extensive with the treads and risers of the steps which characterize the construction of the patent, and in one form in the present instance I provide a number of shallow ribs so spaced apart on the treads that in cutting the lintels from a long piece there will always be, sufiiciently adjacent the ends of the lintel, a

rib serving to prevent the water from passing in any considerable or prohibitive amount beyond the lintel ends, the improved construction being also such that in imbedding the lintel in v the masonry it will be unnecessary to shape any of the bricks to accommodate the flanges shown in the patent, thus simplifying the work of installation.

In the drawing illustrating the invention- Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a portion of a building with the lintel above the Yvindow opening being for the most part in dotted mes.

Figure 2 is a section of Figure 1 taken about on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lintel in place above a window or door opening with only a portion of the bricks or masonry in place.

Figure 4 is a cross section of Figure 3, the masonry being omitted.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another form of lintel positioned upon some of the masonry in connection with which it is used.

Figure 6 is a cross section of the form shown in Figure 5. i

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a form in which the tread portions are inclined downwardly with respect to the riser portions, with the ribs omitted.

Figure 8 is a cross section of a construction embodying the form shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective View of a form in which grooves or channels are provided in the treads to prevent any considerable lateral movement of the seepage, the grooves in this instance taking the place of the ribs in other forms.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and4, the numeral I designates a steel or iron girder of step-like formation generally and substantially W-shape in cross section and of a size and thickness commensurate with the load and strains to beimposed thereon. It is preferably of integral construction and provided with riser portions 2 and 3 and tread portions 4 and 5, the latter being provided at suitable intervals withribs or projections 6 which extend transversely of the treads for the purpose of directing the watertoward the outer edges'of the treads and to prevent it from passing to any harmful extent beyond the ends of the lintel, and in fact preventing the water from traveling to any considerable extent lengthwise of the treads. The ribs are preferably spaced an equal distance apart and the spacing is suchv that no cutting from a long piece to adapt the lintel to a particular job can fail to leave a rib sufficiently near each end to prevent material lateral seepage of water,

The structure is readily and conveniently embodied in a substantially interlocked relation to the usual wall. The bricks 8 and 8 of the inner and outercourses support theends of the lintel, the bricks 8' holding it against inward displacement by reason of engagement between the bricks of this course with the riser 3, the other bricks or masonry of the wall 1 being spaced in the usual staggered relation upon the treads 4 and 5 so as to present the finished appearance of Figure 1. Mortar will be placed between the ends of the bricks in the quantity and'inthe places necessary to conform the appearance .of the bricks that cover the lintel to the appearance of the rest of the wall. However, it is desirable that the spaces between the :ribs on ithe treads be kept substantially clear so as to facilitate'the drainage of the water toward their'outer edges, and that the space between the bricks and the risersbe also left clear or substantially so in-order that there will be nothing'to impede thedrainage or seepage of water from the upper tread 2 to the lowerone 3. Therefore, as shown in Figure Z, a space 48 isleft between the "brick courses 8 and 8'. The bricks upon the treads 4 and 5 -will be 'held slightly spaced from the fioors-o'f the treads by the ribs 6.

Theblocks 9 shown in Figure 2, usually of wood, rest upon the window casing 10 and are not intended to form any substantial support for the lintel; its support, as stated and as shown in Figure 3, being afforded by'the bearing bricks 8 and -8' at the sides of the window opening. The inner wallaround the casing Ii! will usually be finished-off by plaster H.

In th'eform 1 shownin Figures "5 and '6, the numeral 12 indicates the 'upperriser and l3'the lower one, both of which are vertical; whereas the treads M and I5 integral with them are inclined outwardly and downwardly toward the outside of the wall. The treads near their outer edges are provided with a series of shallow ribs I'6 extendinglongitudinally and spaced apart-to formopenin-gs n through which, before it has a chance to-move laterally to any-objectionable extent, the water will pass toward 'the outside of the wall. In placing the covering bricks upon the lintel, the rib H5 will hold them sufiiciently spaced from the treads proper to permit the seepage of water 'to pass between the bricks andtrea'ds.

Referringto form i Figure'lfthere is shown a lintel of the general form 'of that shown in Figure 5 and having risers l8 and I9, and treads 20 and "21, "the treads being inclined outwardly and downwardly with respect to the risers.

-Inthe forms in whichthe treads arein'clined withrespec'tto the risers, it isnot desirable that the'bricks be laid at the-same angle as thetreads, but *naturally in parallelism with the bricks in the rest of the wall. This parallel and usual conditionI accomplish, for instance in the form shown in 'Figure *5, by making the ribs 16 of -'a height to -bring-about 'thiscondition, and on the under'sidecf each'tread l4 andlS I provide "a longitudinal rib 22, so that the lintel as a whole will support the upper bricksand be supported by the ribs 22 :beneath in a manner to :neutralize the .inclination of Lthe treads, which :inclination inany .evenpneedbe Very slight.

.In installing .ithe lintel of the form shown :in Figure '7, the 'mason williapplymortar 22' to the treads in layers :of the desired thickness .and extent, and-interrupt the continuity of theflayers at suitable intervals to form channels transverse to the treads todirect the water from the top tread to the space between the .riser l9 and tar it may be conveniently beveled or inclined downwardly from the front edges of the treads to their point of juncture with the risers, there- 'by 'main'taining the usual parallelism between the brick courses.

Inthe form shown in Figure 9, the lintel l is provided with risers 23 and 24 and treads 25 and --26, the form being one in which transverse grooves 21 are made in the treads to perform the functions of the ribs shown in the forms I andl I claim:

1. -A lintel "comprising a step-like member formed withriser and tread portions, the tread portions being inclined downwardly and outwardly relative to the riser portions to direct the -waterto the'outside of the wall in which the lintel is incorporated, and meansfor spacing the masonry relativeto the inclined tread portions so as "to preserve the uniform alignment between the masonry.

2. A lintel comprising a step-like member formed with 'riser and tread portions, the tread portions being inclined downwardly and outwardly relative to the riser portions to direct the water to the outside of the wall in which the lintel is incorporated, and spaced lugs arranged adjacent the inclined tread portions, the spacing thereb'etween permitting the water to flow toward the outside of the building, and the V lugs serving to preserve the uniform alignment between the masonry.

3. In a wall structure, a lintel toserve as a door or window head, said lintel comprising a step-like member formed with riser and tread portions, thetread'portions being inclined downwardly and outwardly relative to the riser portions to direct the water to the outside-of the wall in which the lintel is incorporated, and mortar interposed "between the bottom and top of-each of "said inclined tread portions and adjacerit the masonry and alternately tapering in opposite directions between the inner and outer edges of the tread portions to preserve the uniform alignment between the masonry.

*4. A lintel comprising -a step-like member formed with tread and riser portions, the tread portions being provided with rib means adjacent their ends to support the masonry-above said tread'portions and extending transversely of said tIBELdfPOI'tlOI'iSythHS providing a clear space "be tween the masonry and tread portions and to prevent the "flow-ofwaterbeyond said ends and direct the flow toward the front of the treads, additional rib -means intermediate the 'first-mentioned means'and'extending transversely of said treadportionsto-alsc'support the masonry above the :tread portions and to prevent the flow -of water for-anyconsiderable distance toward the ends of the treads-and direct the flow toward the front :of said tread portions, both 1 preventive means being comparable to the normal spacing between Tthe nnasonry and being in position to direct :the watertoward the outside of the wall in 'svhich'the lintel 'is incorporated.

HYMAN CUNIN. 

